MPs in move to close far-right website

A far-right website that lists the addresses of politicians, teachers and trade unionists is facing closure after a series of attacks on anti-racist campaigners.

A delegation of union activists and MPs will meet Home Office ministers today in the wake of the latest incident in which anti-fascist campaigner Alec McFadden, president of Merseyside TUC, whose details are listed on the extremist Redwatch site, was stabbed in the face.

"He was very lucky not to be blinded," said Angela Eagle, MP for Mr McFadden's Wallasey constituency, who is heading tomorrow's delegation. "This happened on his doorstep and in front of his daughter ... It is just one of several incidents linked to the website that I have heard about in the past few weeks in the north-west."

Redwatch carries hundreds of pictures and details of anti-fascists, many taken during protests against the far-right British National party, with the slogan: "Remember places, traitors' faces, they'll all pay for their crimes."

Two years ago the Guardian revealed that many of those featured on Redwatch had already suffered threats, intimidation and violence. A secret hitlist of targets on a secure email network attached to the site was uncovered and passed to the government.

Ministers promised to act but because the site is hosted in the US, efforts to close it have failed. However, it has emerged that Redwatch's sister site in Poland was closed down last month following cooperation between police there and in the US, and yesterday ministers confirmed they were in touch with the US authorities in relation to the UK site.

"We have initiated inquiries of the US department of justice to establish whether hosting such a website constitutes a breach of US law, regulations or industry good practice," said a spokesman. "The Home Office is working with the Association of Chief Police Officers to review the position on this type of crime but we believe the existing legislative framework is sufficient to deal with the problem."

Ms Eagle, whose details are also on Redwatch, said that a Liberal Democrat councillor in Liverpool had been threatened by racists linked to the website.